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OC Inlet / Somerset Co.

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  • OC Inlet / Somerset Co.

    I had an unexpected free day today to fish thanks to one of my wife's friends coming to visit. Plan A was ESVA cobia fishing. Wind and wave forecast wasn't looking ideal though, and since the weatherman burned me Friday when I tried cobia fishing - WAY worse then forecast and I had to bail early . So I was a little reluctant to get burned again.

    I was stuck going back and forth between whether to try the OC Inlet or hit the bayside shallows for specks and stripers. Eventually I settled on the inlet. I got up early and launched a little before first light. The plan was to throw plugs up into the jetty rocks then later try for sheepshead. I fished my way out the inlet as I drifted with the tide; 1 short striper around 22". Once out the inlet I cast to the tip and oceanside of the jetty. Fairly slow and I picked up a couple more shorts around 20". A couple other boats came out and they didn't do much better.

    I made a move back into the inlet and anchored up at the tail end of outgoing current to drop some fleas into the rocks. Water was a little dirty and there was a lot of floating grass flushing out the inlet. At this point I didn't have a lot of faith in my decision to use my free day to fish the inlet - I just wasn't really feeling the love there. I kept thinking I should have gone speck fishing. Eventually I got a bite and pulled up a short 15" tog. A little bit later I had small crunch, crunch, so I set the hook and it was very heavy! Unfortunately, the hook didn't stick and it was off after a couple quick seconds. Ouch! 15 more minutes without a bite, grass fouling up my line, and I was done. Cut my losses while I still had plenty of time and go to Plan B - specks!

    Arrived bayside in Somerset Co. about an hour later and was on the speck search. It didn't take long. A couple hundred yards from the launch first speck of the day was on the deck at 21". The tide was near low when I started, and with the crystal clear water, you can see the flats and sandbars beautifully. I continued searching around and picked up a bunch of dink stripers and few specks around 14". As soon as the tide started moving though I got into a good slew of specks. I banged out 3 more at 21" almost back to back to back. A few more dink stripers and then a few more specks around 18". It turned out to be a good day and I picked up about a dozen or so specks 14" - 21" I'd guess. No stripers anywhere even close to keeper size though - all dinks.





    I've noticed quite a few times this year that if I troll (2 rods out), I'll often pick up a speck 1) when the other rod gets hit (usually a striper) and the second lure falls to the bottom as I fight the first - it gets hit just laying there and it's always a speck that does it. Or 2) the second lure falls to the bottom as I land the fish on the first rod, and the second I start moving again, the lure sitting on the bottom gets pounced on like the fish was sitting there staring at it just waiting for it to move. This pattern has happened often to me this year so far and I don't recall it every really happening in years past. Just an interesting observation I thought I'd share...

    Full moon was just the other day too. Crabs shed on full moons. I kept two specks for dinner and both had a big, juicy soft crab in their bellies. Dark colors worked best today. Maybe because the fish were on crabs?



    And by the way, the forecast turned out to be better than expected and I probably easily could of cobia fished
    Brian

  • #2
    Congratulations on the good spec catches. It sounds like this is going to be a good year for specs in Maryland waters.
    John Veil
    Annapolis
    Native Watercraft Manta Ray 11, Falcon 11

    Author - "Fishing in the Comfort Zone" , "Fishing Road Trip - 2019", "My Fishing Life: Two Years to Remember", and "The Way I Like to Fish -- A Kayak Angler's Guide to Shallow Water, Light Tackle Fishing"

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    • #3
      You crushed them yesterday! Its funny that just a few nautical miles away, I had the opposite day. Big stripers up to 23" and not that many specks. I did catch one 17.5" and one 16" speck, but nothing like the day you had. I think this shows that once you find a nice speck, there are likely a few more around that area.
      ___________________________

      Hobie Fishing Team Member
      Survival Products, Salisbury, MD

      2017 Camo Hobie Outback
      2015 Olive Hobie Outback

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      • #4
        Where did you put in in Somerset?
        Scott B

        Vibe Sea Ghost 130

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        • #5
          Originally posted by mrwizard View Post
          Where did you put in in Somerset?
          There are several public ramps around the Crisfield and Deal Island area. Think more terrain than location. You want to look for grass beds, which are visible on Google earth. Janes Island has a nice kayak launch that will give you access to many specky areas.
          ___________________________

          Hobie Fishing Team Member
          Survival Products, Salisbury, MD

          2017 Camo Hobie Outback
          2015 Olive Hobie Outback

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          • #6
            Nice catches! I'm heading out that way Friday morning if the weather cooperates.
            Joe

            2020 Vibe Shearwater 125

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            • #7
              Thanks

              Originally posted by RavensDfense View Post
              There are several public ramps around the Crisfield and Deal Island area. Think more terrain than location. You want to look for grass beds, which are visible on Google earth. Janes Island has a nice kayak launch that will give you access to many specky areas.
              Thanks for the info. I used to fish off Hoopers and Bloodsworth Islands years go. Great fishing down there. Might have to make another trip down there.
              Scott B

              Vibe Sea Ghost 130

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              • #8
                Yea, I've launched at multiple locations and have fished different stretches of water each time I've gone out this year. Specks can be found virtually anywhere in the county if you just look for grass flats and sand bottoms. You really can't go wrong launching anywhere in the county and just exploring a little.
                Brian

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                • #9
                  And just a quick PSA for all. And this isn't me saying people shouldn't keep any specks so relax, you can do what you are legally allowed, I've kept a few myself already this year, but just be mindful that most of the big specks you catch this time of year are females that are FULL of roe and ready to spawn. Just consider taking what you need and not so much worrying about keeping a limit just because you caught that many. Let's try to keep the fishery coming back year after year.

                  And trout roe is delicious too. Might as well eat it if you kept it
                  Brian

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Slobber Bob View Post
                    And just a quick PSA for all. And this isn't me saying people shouldn't keep any specks so relax, you can do what you are legally allowed, I've kept a few myself already this year, but just be mindful that most of the big specks you catch this time of year are females that are FULL of roe and ready to spawn. Just consider taking what you need and not so much worrying about keeping a limit just because you caught that many. Let's try to keep the fishery coming back year after year.

                    And trout roe is delicious too. Might as well eat it if you kept it
                    Sounds like a great day, I'm glad to hear they're around. Trout Roe surely is delicious!

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                    • #11
                      Interesting. The only spec fishing I've done has been in NW. Florida (Choctawhatchee Bay). Like you point out, I found those specs to prefer grass beds with a sandy bottom, but in NW Fla they only go after a moving lure/bait - they would completely ignore anything just resting on the bottom such as you describe. NW Fla redfish on the other hand, would jump all over a tasty morsel just lying on the bottom. In fact, the largest redfish I ever caught was directly outside of Destin Pass, in 25 feet of water on an outgoing tide with a chunk of cut squid on a fishfinder rig (go figure).
                      -manny

                      Hobie Outback
                      Wilderness Systems 130T
                      Hobie Outfitter

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by baitball View Post
                        Interesting. The only spec fishing I've done has been in NW. Florida (Choctawhatchee Bay). Like you point out, I found those specs to prefer grass beds with a sandy bottom, but in NW Fla they only go after a moving lure/bait - they would completely ignore anything just resting on the bottom such as you describe. NW Fla redfish on the other hand, would jump all over a tasty morsel just lying on the bottom. In fact, the largest redfish I ever caught was directly outside of Destin Pass, in 25 feet of water on an outgoing tide with a chunk of cut squid on a fishfinder rig (go figure).
                        I've caught speckled trout before @ Hoopers Island from the shore fishing for croakers with shrimp and squid near rockpiles, so they hang out in different environments.

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                        • #13
                          That sounds like one hell of a day!! Well done
                          Bruce

                          Hobie PA 14
                          Wilderness System, Thresher 155

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                          • #14
                            Great report Slobberbob.. I have been hunting specks in VA will be good to give them a shot in MD

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